Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 3.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania ranks 157th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 36% — above the national median of 21%.
- 157th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 1st in Pennsylvania.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 36% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 99th percentile nationally.
- Credit card delinquency at 9% — national median 5%, ranked at the 91st percentile.
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
- Poverty rate at 20% — national median 14%, ranked at the 87th percentile.
Unemployment is 5%, near the national median of 4%, while credit card delinquency runs at the 91st percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 40-point drop to Montgomery County marks where the Delaware Valley distress corridor ends.
"Philadelphia County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
The Indicators Behind Philadelphia County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Philadelphia County's value shown alongside PA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Philadelphia | PA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 90 · Rank 224 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 4% | 5% | 90th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 5% | 5% | 91st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 36% | 20% | 23% | 90th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 59 · Rank 1,168 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 34% | 20% | 23% | 84th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 94 | 98 | 126 | 33rd | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 96 · Rank 39 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 36% | 21% | 21% | 99th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 27% | 18% | 18% | 93rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 82 · Rank 570 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 4% | 4% | 82nd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 70 · Rank 786 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 17% | 18% | 82nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 16% | 16% | 64th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 13% | 14% | 87th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 28% | 28% | 27% | 52nd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 6% | 8% | 42nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Philadelphia County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 145-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Philadelphia County ranks 157th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 79 out of 100 places Philadelphia in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 156 counties rank more distressed. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia ranks first of 67 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Philadelphia. A rent-to-income ratio of 36% — above the national median of 21%.
"Philadelphia County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Philadelphia County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Philadelphia County's distress score?
How does Philadelphia County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Philadelphia County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →